Inspection window construction



NOV- 24, 1959 A. wElssELBERG I 2,913,780

INSPECTION WINDOW CONSTRUCTION 'Filed July 21, 1958 FIG. 5

INVENTOR. Arnold Wesselfberg Y/ ATTORNEY United States Pettit funk/srINSPECTION WnsDowcoNsr-RCTON Arnold Weisselherg, Leonia, Nllgassignor toWyssmont Company, Inc., Long Island City, l.Y a corporation ApplicationJuly 21, 195s, seriaiNo. "fanarts,4 i -9 claims.' (cl.2 9`-,4o)'

"This invention relates to an inspection window construction, and moreparticularly,-concerns,such a window construction for association withwalledv enclosures.` -In walled structures which enclose process'equipment such as drers or the like; as wellasothertenclosures, it isfrequently desirable that the 'interior ofsuch structures or enclosuresbe subject to visual inspection at various levels. Conveniently, this isaccomplished by inserting inspection windows in the wallsloftthes'tructure at the desired levels. These windowsmust becleanedperiodically `to maintain visibility;V #This yis usually.V accomplishedby either directinga stream of water or cleaning fluid against theinside'of the window,whichwcleaning ac- -tion is often assistedby. awiper manually or power op-A erated from the outside, or thel windowslarehinged so as to make the inside. accessible for cleaning. zHowcver,there are' many instances :which do not permit either of the abovecleaning methods to .,beusedyeither `because the enclosureis underpressurevor vacuum'or the Ypresence of a liquid cannot betoleratedinside the enclosure.

Accordingly, an object` ofi this invention-is `to provide an improvedinspectionllwindow.construction `for insertion in the wallofan'enclosing structure, whereinthe window may be manipulated in-amanner to allowtclean# ing of the interior surface thereof, from theoutside of the enclosing structure;-` t

Another object ofy this invention Ais toprovide anwimproved inspection.window construction of the character described whichincludestatmovabletwindow adapted to permit cleaning ofz the interiorsurface portionsLthereof, yet leaving the opening closed by the Windowin favsealed condition at all times.

A further object-0f this inventia' isetafprovide an in` spection windowconstruction includingatframe element for the window wherein such frame,el ement `allowslfor slidable movement ofthe Window to positionsallowingfor cleaning of theinteriorsurfacelportions thereof, while at the sametime, the openinginthe `frame element is sealed during such cleaningoperation.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

ln the drawing, Fig. l is a front elevational view of an inspectionwindow construction embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view showing the window element in oneposition thereof; and I Fig. 5 is a similar view showing said windowelement in the other position thereof.

Referring in detail to the drawing, W designates a wall portion of anenclosure such asa casing or the like, it

Vbeing desirable to view the interior of such enclosure,

as bounded by the inner surface of wall portion W; the outer surface ofsaid wall portion being indicated at l1.

Accordingly, an inspection window assembly, generally indicated at 12,is tixedly mounted in an opening 13 2,913,780 Patented Nov. 24, 1959 ICC2 in wall portion W; said opening 13 being of circular orm.

Assembly 12 comprises a tubular frame element 14 carrying on theexterior periphery thereof a mounting ring 15 welded thereto at a pointintermediate the ends of element 14. Said ring 15 carries a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced bolts 16. A clamping ring 17 havingcircumferentially spaced openings 18 is mounted on bolts 16 in abuttingrelation to the bolt heads. Clamping ring 17 is bevelled on its inneredge as at 19.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3, tubular frame element 14 is Set in wall opening13, with mounting ring v15 in abutting relation to outer wall surface11, bolts 18 pass through appropriate through openings 20 in wallstructure W, while clamping ring 17 is disposed in abutting relation tothe inner wall surface 10. An annular, compressible gasket 21 is locatedbetween the bevelled portion 19 of clamping ring 17, wall surface 10 atthe opening 13, and the outer end of frame element 14, to provide a sealfor said frame assembly, when nuts 22 are tightened on said bolts 16.

On the outer end portion of tubular element 14 there is afXeda'rectangular plate 23 having a circular opening 24 for receiving saidtubular element 14. Plate 23 is formed on its louter surface with anannular recess 25 adjacent-,the opening 24 therein, said recess 25receiving therein an annular compressible gasket 26.

A second rectangular plate 27, having a circular opening 28 of adiameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of member 14, isadapted to be movably mounted in spaced relation to plate 23 exteriorlythereof. A pair of similar spacer bars 29, 30 are located between plates23, 27, at their upperand lower marginal portions respectively.v l

`Bars 29, 30 are affixed to the outer, marginal surface portions ofplate 23 by means of spaced pins 31 force fitted into .registeringopenings in said bars and plate 23. Thumb screws 32 in threadedregistering openings in outer plate 27, spacer bars `29, 30 and plate 23hold said outer plate 27 against said spacer bars.

The assembly 12 further includes a window element 33 located betweenplates 423, 27 and which is rectangular in shape. Said window element isadapted to be slidably mounted between bars 29, 3 0 to cover the opening24 in plate 23. Window element 33 has a length somewhat more than twicethe width of plates 23, 27 so that only a portion of the total surfacearea of `said window element is required to cover opening 24. Feltstrips 34 are aixed to the inner edges of bars 29, 30 to facilitate thesliding movementof window element 33. Also, felt strips 35 are affixedto `the inner marginal portions of outer plate 27. Thus, when thumbscrews 32 are tightened,twindow element 33 isl gripped between gasket 26and the felt covered plate 27 to provide an effective seal for opening24 in plate 23.

It will be apparent from a consideration of Figs. 4, 5, that windowelement 33 may be positioned in a manner to leave one end portion 33alaterally spaced relative to plate 27, while the other end portion 33bis within plate openings 28, as indicated in Fig. 4. When the interiorsurface of window portions 33b becomes dirty so as to impair thevisibility therethrough, thumb screws 32 are loosened and window element33 is slidably moved to the right as indicated in Fig. 5. The innersurface of window portion 33a being readily accessible by reason ofspacing thereof from wall surface 11, has been pre viously cleaned toremove any visibility impairing material, and accordingly, when in itsnew position sealing plate opening 24, will allow for a clear view intothe interior of the structure including wall W.

The window portion 33b which was dirty on its inner surface, now is in aposition to be cleaned, since it is disposed in laterally offsetrelation to plate 27. Thus,

window element 33 'can be cleaned throughout its inner f surface extentto permit either end portion thereof to be left in the viewing position,yet opening 24 has been substantially sealed throughout the movement ofsaid window element. When the window element 33 has been properlylocated in its new position, thumbscrews 32 are tightened to secure theseal and prevent inadvertent movement of said window element.

The window element 33 may be of glass, transparent synthetic resin orany other suitable transparent material. The tubular element 14 may havea minimum length, and positioned in the wall W in a manner to providespacing between outer wall surface 11 and the inner surface of windowelement, to allow access for cleaning such inner window surface.

What is claimed is:

l. In a walled enclosure, an inspection window assembly mounted in awalled portion of said enclosure, said assembly comprising a frame,sealing means on said frame, a window element having a lengthsubstantially greater than the transverse dimension of the opening insaid frame, means for mounting said window element for movement relativeto said frame and in engagement with said sealing means whereby selectedsurface portions of said window element cover the opening in said frame,said window element being in sealed engagement with the frame opening inall positions of said window element relative to said frame.

2. An inspection window assembly as in claim l, Wherein the frame ispositioned relative to the walled portion to space the inner surface ofsaid window element from the outer surface of said walled portion,thereby allowing the inner surface of that portion of the windowelementwhich is spaced from the frame opening to be accessible for cleaning.

3. In combination with a wall having an opening therein, frame means forsaid opening, a window element covering said frame means and including aportion extending beyond said frame means, means on said frame means forslidably mounting said window element to allow one end portion of saidwindow element to cover said opening while the other end portion of saidwindow element is in offset relation to said opening, the inner surfaceof said window element being in spaced relation to said wall to allowaccess to the inner surface of said other end portion thereof forcleaning the same, and seal means for sealing said window element in anyposition relative to said frame means.

4. An inspection window assembly comprising a frame member, means forfixing said frame to a wall, an apertured plate on one end of saidframe, a second apertured plate adjacent said first apertured plate,spacer means between marginal portions of said plates, a iiat window velement slidably mounted between said plates, compressible seal meansbetween said window element and said first plate and means on saidplates for pressing said 4 windowvelement against. said seal means inselected positions of said window element.

5. An assembly as in claim 4 wherein said seal means comprises a gasketwhich is disposed about the aperture in said first plate and in abuttingrelation to inner surface portions of said window element to provide aseal between said window element and said frame member.

6. An assembly as in claim 4 and including strip means on edge portionsof said spacer means for slidable engagement by edge portions of saidwindow element.

7. An inspection window assembly comprising a tubular frame member, arectangular plate having a circular opening therein to receive one endportion of said tubular member-,fsaid plate being fixed to said tubularmember, a second rectangular plate overlying said rst plate and having acircular opening registrable with the opening in said rst plate, meansfor spacing said plates relative to each other, a rectangular windowelement arranged for slidable movement between said plates, seal meansbetween the inner surface of said window element and said first plate,means for mounting said second plate on said first plate for relativemovement towards and away from said iirst plate, and for pressing saidwindow element against said seal means, said window element having alength at least twice the transverse dimension of said platesv wherebyone portion of said window element projects'from one edge of said platesto render either side of said projecting portion accessible forcleaning, while the other portions of said window element are retainedin sealed relation to said frame member.

8. An assembly as in claim 7 wherein said spacing means comprises a pairof parallel elongated members respectively located on either side of theplate openings, said elongated members providing track means for theslidable movement of said window element.

9. An inspection window assembly comprising a tubular frame member, anapertured flat plate having one end of said tubular member received inthe aperture thereof and fixed therein, a second apertured flat plateoverlying said first plate, the opening in said second plate beingaligned with saidtubular member, means for spacing said plates relativeto each other, a window element located between said spaced plates andarranged for movement across the one end of said tubular member, saidwindow element being of a length to provide one portion thereof incovering relation to the one end of said tubular member and anotherportion projecting beyond one edge of said plates, and means connectingsaid plates and for retaining said windowelement in selected positionstherebetween.

36,914 Austria'. Apr. 10, 1909

